Spring closet cleaning with Poshmark

There’s something about the warm weather in Buffalo that just brings me hope.

I spotted some crocuses today while walking around my neighborhood and it made me smile. I feel like one of the best parts about living in a cold weather climate is that you learn to never take a sunny day for granted.

Upstate New Yorkers are notorious for wearing their flip flops “too soon” by fashion standards. They whip out shorts when the temperatures hit just above freezing. I don’t endorse it, but I understand it. I long for the days when I can wear a dress without tights and some strappy open toed heels without fear that I will find myself face to face with a snow bank.

I’m excited to say that Easter was 50 degrees and precipitation free though. This is a significant improvement from last year; in 2015 I recall walking out of the church and being bombarded with white flakes in the air.

Some people are saying it’s too soon to call this spring in Buffalo… despite the official start date of 10 days ago by calendar standards. I think it’s the perfect time to embrace the double digit temps -yep, that’s the standard here-, just keep those heavier knits close by because it changes all the time.

My neighbor was cutting his lawn this morning. I wore capris. We all show our optimism about the weather a little differently, mine tends to involve rotating wardrobes.

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When I pull the shift dresses and pastel colors out of storage, I always find a few items that I could take or leave. Do I move these pieces into valuable closet real estate or leave them banished in the basement until next Spring? God knows I’m going to buy new pieces too…

My style may have changed while hibernating in leggings and slouchy sweaters or my size may have changed, does it really matter the reason? My taste *matures* all of the time so it’s no wonder that I have moved on from a few things I was obsessed with last season or during May 2011. My shopping deals and steals deserve a good home though and recently I’ve re-homed quite a few of my finds via Poshmark.

I’ve been using the Poshmark app since 2012. My first purchases were a Marc Jacobs watch and some Tory Burch flats for amazing prices, with both of the stores that sold those types of items being at least an hour away from my house at the time. It was exciting and refreshing. I hope the people that purchase my clothes and accessories feel the same way!

The app is super easy to use, you just upload 4 photos of your item that you’re selling like you would on instagram. The first image can be filtered. Then you include a short and sweet accurate depiction of what you’re selling (include the condition, size, how it fits, color) and categorize it by the required categories. That’s it!

There are posh parties on the app where you can share your closet items as well as some of your favorite sellers’ pieces. I’ve become addicted to Poshmark, like any other form of social media. I have followers and share things. It kinda becomes a way of life.

Since re-visiting Poshmark over the last few weeks of closet rotating I’ll be completely honest, I have made $300+ . This is an incredibly exciting considering I am a 21 year old juggling part time work and freelance gigs. I’ve also found that when I buy things via Poshmark, in general I am spending a lot less than I do when I take a trip to the mall.

Whether it is to add to your wardrobe or perform a spring closet clean out, make an account and check it out. Nobody is sponsoring this post, this is just my personal success with selling gently used items from the comfort of my home.

Feel free to follow me @preppylogic15 and if you use code HWEUI when you purchase something via the app (cuz lets be honest, it’s inevitable), you and I will both earn $10. Cool!

Trends and temptations

Yesterday I went shopping to prepare for my trip to Panama City in April. I splurged on some “Red, Red, Red” lipstick at Clinique as well some powder. Both items weren’t originally on my list, but just like handbags, make up is so much easier to buy than clothes sometimes. I bought 2 pairs of shorts and a pair of ankle pants from EXPRESS. I noticed ankle pants in New York and Company, Banana Republic, JCPenney, The Limited, and LOFT. They’re apparently going to be HUGE this spring/summer. They flatter girls with a little more to love in the thigh region, but hit differently in length than capris. I was confused at first by the trend, but now I love them. The shorts were a flattering 4 inch inseam and although difficult to find in a store with so little fabric, they were worth the search.

Last year I was OBSESSED with JCrew’s 3-5inch inseam shorts. I felt like they hit and fit perfectly. I own at least 10 pairs, maybe 15. The sad part, as was mentioned last post, is that those shorts don’t fit any longer. I’m sipping a watered down Tim Hortons smoothie, instead of eating a crescent and I know I just had a “I love my body” post.. but I love those shorts.

And I refuse to go into stores like EXPRESS and LOFT and be the largest size. I still stand by my comment that society is the issue, but society also makes it really hard for big girls.

And J Crew makes it tough because those shorts don’t have stretch.

So, for Spring Break I will wear the EXPRESS shorts and ankle pants. I have some Lauren Conrad denim shorts that will also get me through the week, but besides that, I have to try harder to be healthy for the sake of J Crew by summer.

If I am down in Manhattan, ankle pants will be the perfect office appropriate bottom. I also have all of those dresses I picked up at Charlotte Russe. Even if it’s 10 pounds, my entire wardrobe would appreciate a little nip tuck.

While I was at the mall, I also was looking for more exercise attire. I have always loved my Victoria’s Secret yoga pants, but was very disappointed! The waste band prints look cheesy and tacky, not worth 40 dollars. I was then further disappointed by my free panty coupon being out of date. VS and I aren’t on speaking terms right now.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing though, because my wallet can’t deal with her. I have done really well saving money, but I signed up for my first credit card a few months back and she has this way of making me think I have more money than I do. And with rent sky rocketing in the city, I have to save… but Coach just got in a shipment of neon rainbow colored packable totes that would serve as a fantastic ~~carry on bag.~~

I bought the cutest luggage tag at Francesca’s Collections yesterday. It said “You wouldn’t look good in my clothes.” and has my name and number on the back. I always do carry on with Delta or Southwest, but I couldn’t resist.

I’m a little worried that with all these tempting purchases in the middle of nowhere, how I am supposed to resist NYC. I suppose having a 10 x 10 cell -I mean room 🙂 to live in will play a role. I have no idea how I would even bring all of my clothes with me, but I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

On a random note, 6 weeks until I have my Associate’s!!!

Allison

I have come to the conclusion our bodies aren’t the issue, society is.

I really liked the book “Size 12 is not fat” by Meg Cabot when I read it last summer. I’m not sure if I just relate to the main character Heather Wells too much, or if it’s the fact that the story is about a chubby girl that gets the guy in the end. It’s been a while since I read it, but a recent Google search reminded me of it.

In between Twitter and Netflix I started to think about Spring Break. I’m currently on break from one school, but because I balance two, the breaks don’t line up. To my displeasure a winter filled with leggings does not typically hide the same figure that was present during the summer months. I decided to Google “flattering clothes for size 12” (since that’s my estimated current size) and got a link to an Oprah article with frumpy mom dresses and a Wiki post on “3 Ways To Dress Well When You’re Overweight”. I was insulted and irritated, because I know I’ve been blessed, but I am not overweight. I am content with my figure, of course it could be thinner, but I see how my friends and I have obsessed over our size for far too long and I’m over it. The pineapple coconut Haagen Daz icecream is worth it and taking a more modest approach to swimsuit season is okay!

I have decided since I returned home in January that there are more important things to consume myself with than my weight. I am still healthy and I exercise more now than I have since Field Hockey in my Junior year of high school. I can only hope people that are deemed “skinny” are as happy as I am. There is frustration, but I have come to the conclusion from my weight fluctuation that regardless of the fact I am a 6 or a 12, there will always be someone smaller, prettier, etc. I just have to do the best with what I’ve got. If I feel like passing on the potato chips, great! My body may love me back for that, but do I love me back?

I’d rather be happy and deemed fat by society, than skinny and miserable.

The average dress size in America is a 14 and my plump freshman fifteen blessed ass has ventured comfortably from an 8/10 to a firm 10/12. The only reason I care, is that I have way too many pairs of size 8 J Crew shorts that need to be replaced. What I think is ridiculous is that unlike the book title by Meg Cabot, size 12 is fat in America. The average size 14 is made up of all age ranges, including 18 year old girls. The size 12 demographic is being pushed to the mom jeans section so I can only imagine for a size 14 it’s worse. The junior’s department is too clingy and unflattering for anyone larger than twiggy and twiggy is from the UK, not America.

I decided back when I was 14 that I was built with a woman’s curves, it’s the fashion industry that needs to catch up. Adele is a size 16 and although black does look phenomenal against her porcelain skin does she have other options? I bet anything that it’s harder to keep your head held high if you have a little more to love and you’re famous. People are constantly dissecting her waist line instead of her powerful voice. At least us average chubbies have sweatpants to hide in.

I have come to the conclusion our bodies aren’t the issue, ~~society is~~.

I’m writing this post as a little pep talk to myself. After a dinner of home made mac and cheese and carrot sticks I have to open the six bins of summer clothes and conquer them. Whether the results send them to Plato’s Closet or my closet, I have to accept it. Just because it zips doesn’t mean it fits, and I’m okay with that. It could be worse (see photo edit #2).

Allison

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